Figure 1.--This photograph was taken in Waco, Texas, during 1913. The unodentified news boy wears knkckers and is barefoot. It shows an 8 years old newsboy. Notice how he is holing on to his change tin with his toe. Going barefoot was more common in the South than North because of the warmer weather. (Source: Library of Congress LC-DIG-ncls-05524.)

Early images show boys selling newspapers on the streets. This led to conflict between the boys for possesion of the best corners. Many boys quit school and sold newspapers during the day. This became less common as child labor laws and school attendance laws were established and enforced. Boys selling papers on city street corners was still very commn in the 1900s, but thiswas much les common in the 1910s and virtually non-esistnt by the 20s. This varied from state to state. Child labor laws and mandatory school attendance laws tended to be weakest in the southern states. Boys continued, however, to earn money selling papers. Many got paper routes before and after school. I am not sure just when this became common. I do not think home delivery was very common in the 19th century, even the late-19th century. We begin to see boys with home delivery carry bags. Some of the first hime delivery boys may have been those boys delivering the Saturday Evening Post. As far as we can tell, school boys eaning extra cash by delivering papers became a well-established boy activity. It was very definitely a boy activity. Paper girls were virtually unknown. State laws permitted this type of child labor, although there were normally age limits. Ironically employment opportunities for young people were more limited by the 1920s than they are today. Thus paper routes were one of the major ways boys made mone during the mid-20th century.

Street Sales

Early images show boys selling newspapers on the streets. Our photographic are mostly from the early 20th century. I think it was also common in the 19th century, it just that the boys were not photographed. Outdoor photography became much more common fter the turn-of-th 20th century. Selling papers on the street led to conflict between the boys for possesion of the best corners. Many boys quit school and sold newspapers during the day. This became less common as child labor laws and school attendance laws were established and enforced. Boys selling papers on city street corners was still very commn in the 1900s, but this was much les common in the 1910s and virtually non-esistnt by the 20s. This varied from state to state because boh child labor laws and schoo attendance laws were state rather than Federal matters. Child labor laws and mandatory school attendance laws tended to be weakest in the southern states.

Home Delivery Routes

Boys continued, however, to earn money selling papers. Many got paper routes before and after school. I am not sure just when this became common. I do not think home delivery was very common in the 19th century, even the late-19th century. We begin to see boys with home delivery carry bags. Some of the first hime delivery boys may have been those boys delivering the Saturday Evening Post and other weekly magazines. As far as we can tell, school boys eaning extra cash by delivering papers became a well-established boy activity. It was very definitely a boy activity. Paper girls were virtually unknown. State laws permitted this type of child labor, although there were normally age limits. Ironically employment opportunities for young people were more limited by the 1920s than they are today. Thus paper routes were one of the major ways boys made mone during the mid-20th century. Boys carry the paper began to decline in the 1960s. I'm not entirely sure why boys delvering papers gradually disappeared.

Created: 1:18 AM 4/1/2008
Last updated: 12:50 AM 6/9/2008